Manatee: Usability Report

Our top issues identified after the usability tests are listed below, from severe to trivial.

1. Intervention Screen Experience (SEVERE)

• Users reported feeling overwhelmed by the intervention screen, with comments like “so much is going on” and “it pisses her off” rather than promoting mindfulness as intended. 
• One participant felt “a little bit shamed” by the intervention approach.
• The self-message component was identified as “the most important thing” but was “the smallest and least visually” prominent element.

Possible Solutions:

• Simplify the visual design to match the well-received habit-adding screen that users praised for being “quick and easy.”
• Reorganize layout elements following standard visual hierarchy principles, giving prominence to the user’s self-message.
• Standardize button sizes and reduce visual clutter to create a calmer, more focused intervention experience.

2. Onboarding Process Complexity (MODERATE)

• Participants found “too many options” during onboarding, particularly when selecting habits and apps to track.
• Irrelevant suggestions like “Netflix/Hulu” for non-watchers created the impression of “using the wrong app.”
• Some options being preselected caused confusion for users.

Possible Solutions:

• Restructure options into expandable categories or “buckets of interest” (e.g., Physical Activity → Yoga, Running, Swimming).
• Implement a tiered selection process, asking for broad interests first before showing detailed options.
• Remove preselections or make them more clearly marked as suggestions.
• Note: Due to complexity, these changes will require additional testing before implementation.

3. Homepage Navigation Confusion (MODERATE)

• Users had difficulty distinguishing what elements were clickable, saying “a lot looks animated…wondering what’s clickable and what’s not.”
• The arrangement of dates was counterintuitive, with horizontal display of recent items causing confusion.
• Moments were described as “disproportionately big and long.”

Possible Solutions:

• Add visual cues like drop shadows to clearly indicate interactive elements.
• Use more intentional whitespace to separate content sections.
• Standardize navigation button placement throughout the app.
• Create additional screens for each moment/habit to reduce information density.
• These adjustments will require additional testing to verify effectiveness.

4. Social Feature Ambiguity (TRIVIAL)

• Users were uncertain about the app’s social aspects, particularly regarding the tagging feature.
• One participant noted they “can’t tell if this is a social app or not” when using tagging.

Possible Solutions:

• Make tags more explicit (e.g., clearly showing “#yoga” in the Tracked Habits section).
• Consider removing tags altogether if they’re not central to the app’s purpose.
• Add a space for personal reflections related to activities, connecting to the intervention messaging.
• These changes are lower priority and will be implemented after gathering additional feedback.

5. Intervention Messaging Tone (TRIVIAL)

• The “Remember when…” phrasing received mixed feedback, with one tester feeling it was somewhat shameful.
• The personal message component was considered important but visually under-emphasized.

Possible Solutions:

• Workshop alternative, more supportive phrasing for past activity reminders.
• Emphasize the personal text entry component in the visual design.
• Offer customization options allowing users to select their preferred intervention language style (from gentle to more direct).